Soccer, sports and politics (R)

Ha!

 

Excuse me... 1.08%

 

So close for poor Tunisia. I was really hoping more African nations made it out of the GS. Maybe if their talent stayed home for NT duty...

 

(81-74)/(81+74) = 4.5%

Never thought I'd have to do that on BigSoccer but here we are.

 

France goal disallowed!

 

Still doesn't matter. Tunisia's out...

 

Not sure Colin Kaepernik would totally agree.

 

I'm sure it matters to the Tunisians!

 

Last two matches shows why they are decided on the pitch....not by one's Bookie!

 

I was just kinda thinking about how Mexico got hosed a bit, getting into a group with two teams that are pretty good in Poland and Argentina. Against the likes of Iran and Wales, the US was positioned to reach the R16 and only a Zimmerman error v. Wales made it dicey..

 

The Saudis being good enough to take three points off Argentina muddled things a bit more, too.

 

Mexico almost always gets hosed in the groups and R16. Other than that WC where they got a seed they really didn’t deserve, they seem to draw one big team and a second really dangerous team like a Croatia or Uruguay. And in the R16, they end up paired with a big team or in the case of 2002, someone who knows them too well and matches up well.

A lot of that is down to how the pots were formerly drawn. Top seed in one pot. CONCACAF and AFC in another. Mexico was always the best/second best in that pot, so their group by default is difficult. Doesn’t take much to get one more tough team from the UEFA pot or the CAF/CONMEBOL pot.

 

You are obviously very worried about the welfare of the Qataris. A noble concern, no doubt.

I am pleased to reassure you that the Qataris on the whole are happy with their rights. Their population (and the population of the Saudis and the Gulf States) is usually around, but slightly below, the US (all of whom trail the Nordic countries) when it comes to global measures of happiness. The US is usually around 20th and the Qataris are usually around 30th out of around 150 countries.

So pretty good all round for both Qatar and the US when it comes to domestic affairs. Well done both of you!

 

The government threatened Kaep’s family?

News to me.

 

And when the doctor said I didn't have worms anymore, that was the happiest day of my life!

 

stanger, people misbehaving all the way up to the legal limits of their environment isn't something we ignore when comparing environments that are not what they should be.

That nobody could threaten Kaep's family and get away with it because of US laws isn't an indicator of our superior morals. It simply ignores the fact that America kills with thousands and thousands of small paper cuts, over decades.

 

Shitloads of money tends to improve those metrics just a bit. Yay fossil fuel reserves!

 

They have pretty bizarre demographics. Looks like they hire people to turn on the lights and scratch their balls.

2,795,484

In early 2017, Qatar's total population was 2.6 million, with 313,000 of them Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates.

 

Come on, man.

Colin Kaepernick, even after being targeted by the president of the United States and having his life threatened by thousands of window licking theo-fascists, is still far more free and liberated than any woman, queer, or foreign worker in Qatar.

 

Obviously that pushes the happiness level up for Qatar, unlike the US population which has unfortunately never seen the joys of cheap oil and gas from the Middle East since 1951 and earlier.

I wonder why there’s a massive US base at Al-Udeid? Must be to protect all the migrant workers and women there.

 

I don't dispute that.
We still live in a glass house, tho, and some of us want it painted.

 

Auria, your perspective is one of the reasons I frequent these message boards.

What Kaep went through, IMO, is not in any way similar to what the Iranian government is doing to their soccer team.

I’m not claiming superior morals, just pointing out the differences.

 

No, it wasn't a government action that happened to Colin. 'Merica don't really roll that way.

It was the words and actions of millions of conservatives on social media, at dinner parties, at get togethers, BBQs, family reunions, all chanting the conservative mantra to help the NFL owners refuse to hire him.

Iran does by legislating discrimination. We do it with small government refusing to help when they hurt for so many centuries.